In the United States, teenagers drive less than all but the oldest people, but their numbers of crashes and crash deaths are disproportionately high.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 2018. [Unpublished analysis of 2017 data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Household Travel Survey, General Estimates System, and Fatality Analysis Reporting System]. Arlington, VA. In the United States, the fatal crash rate per mile driven for 16-19 year-olds is nearly 3 times the rate for drivers ages 20 and over. Risk is highest at ages 16-17.

Data subsections:

Trends

A total of 2,734 teenagers ages 13-19 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2017. This is 69 percent fewer than in 1975 and 4 percent fewer than in 2016. About 2 of every 3 teenagers killed in crashes in 2017 were males. Since 1975, teenage crash deaths have decreased more among males (72 percent) than among females (58 percent).

Seventy-six percent of teenage crash deaths in 2017 were passenger vehicle occupants. The others were pedestrians (10 percent), motorcyclists (7 percent), bicyclists (3 percent), riders of all-terrain vehicles (2 percent) and people in other kinds of vehicles (2 percent). The percentage of crash deaths that were passenger vehicle occupants is lowest for age 13 (55 percent) and highest for age 16 (82 percent).

Teenage motor vehicle crash deaths by type and age, 2017

Age

Passenger vehicle occupants

Motorcyclists

Pedestrians

Bicyclists

All-terrain vehicle riders

Other

Total motor vehicle deaths

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

13

46

55

0

0

20

24

10

12

5

6

3

4

84

100

14

73

59

3

2

24

19

12

10

7

6

5

4

124

100

15

136

73

4

2

32

17

8

4

4

2

2

1

186

100

16

330

82

13

3

34

8

8

2

11

3

4

1

400

100

17

379

81

20

4

45

10

8

2

7

1

11

2

470

100

18

556

77

64

9

63

9

9

1

12

2

15

2

719

100

19

570

76

88

12

67

9

15

2

5

1

6

1

751

100

Total

2,090

76

192

7

285

10

70

3

51

2

46

2

2,734

100

In 2016, the latest year for which data are available, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death among 13-19 year-old males and females in the United States.
National Centers for Injury Prevention and Control. 2017. Leading causes of death reports, national and regional, 1999 - 2016. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available: https://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcause.html

In 2017, 53 percent of the deaths of teenage passengers in passenger vehicles occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager. Among deaths of passengers of all ages, 13 percent occurred when a teenager was driving.

In 2017, belt use among fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers age 16 (58 percent), 17 (47 percent) and 18 (51 percent) was higher than among fatally injured drivers age 19 (43 percent) and those ages 20-59 (43 percent), but lower than among drivers 60 and older combined (63 percent). Among fatally injured 16-19 year-old occupants, belt use among passengers (36 percent) was considerably lower than among drivers (49 percent). Note that belt use among those fatally injured is not always accurately recorded, but it gives an indication of relative belt use rates in serious crashes by age group.

Seat belt use among fatally injured passenger vehicle occupants by age and seating position, 2017

Age

Drivers

Passengers

Belt used

Unbelted

Unknown

Belt used

Unbelted

Unknown

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

13

1

100

0

0

0

0

20

44

18

40

7

16

14

1

20

3

60

1

20

32

47

30

44

6

9

15

9

36

14

56

2

8

38

35

53

48

19

17

16

95

58

66

40

4

2

60

37

86

52

18

11

17

99

47

97

46

14

7

58

35

90

54

19

11

18

181

51

137

39

36

10

73

36

102

51

25

12

19

164

43

174

46

41

11

68

36

98

52

21

11

20-24

871

41

1,048

50

194

9

279

34

432

53

104

13

25-29

693

36

1,047

54

200

10

177

34

282

54

67

13

30-59

3,476

45

3,522

46

659

9

666

40

820

50

170

10

60-69

1,180

58

703

35

137

7

262

63

115

28

39

9

70+

1,831

66

753

27

190

7

697

74

185

20

66

7

Among passenger vehicle drivers ages 16-19 involved in fatal crashes in 2017, 43 percent were involved in single-vehicle crashes. This was higher than for drivers ages 25 and older (36 percent).

Passenger vehicle drivers in fatal crashes by age and crash type, 2017

Single vehicle

Multiple vehicle

All crashes

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

16-19

1,251

43

1,680

57

2,931

100

20-24

2,208

42

3,107

58

5,315

100

25-29

1,988

40

2,957

60

4,945

100

30-59

6,918

36

12,099

64

19,017

100

60-69

1,456

34

2,810

66

4,266

100

70+

1,369

31

3,107

69

4,476

100

Population and mileage rates

From 1975 to 2017, the rate of passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes per 100,000 people declined by 64 percent for teenagers ages 16-19 (from 47.6 to 17.2), 45 percent for people ages 20-34 (from 38.7 to 21.1), 34 percent for people ages 35-69 (from 20.5 to 13.6), and 14 percent for people 70 and older (from 15.4 to 13.2). The teenage passenger vehicle driver fatal crash involvement rate fell in 2017 for the first time since 2013, and was 4% lower than the rate in 2016.

Passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes per 100,000 people by age group, 1975-2017

16-19 years

20-34 years

35-69 years

70+ years

Population

Number

Rate

Population

Number

Rate

Population

Number

Rate

Population

Number

Rate

1975

17,016,355

8,094

47.6

50,998,098

19,715

38.7

74,764,829

15,325

20.5

14,563,945

2,249

15.4

1976

17,194,079

8,457

49.2

52,745,005

19,847

37.6

75,419,921

15,127

20.1

14,960,120

2,395

16.0

1977

17,276,153

8,968

51.9

54,497,448

21,530

39.5

76,203,083

15,710

20.6

15,401,249

2,387

15.5

1978

17,287,835

9,297

53.8

55,909,063

23,284

41.6

77,348,222

16,323

21.1

15,876,541

2,524

15.9

1979

17,242,116

9,240

53.6

57,499,197

23,991

41.7

78,311,107

16,075

20.5

16,388,617

2,386

14.6

1980

17,112,117

8,637

50.5

58,814,391

23,957

40.7

79,111,522

16,002

20.2

16,897,977

2,375

14.1

1981

16,756,984

7,800

46.5

60,563,416

23,758

39.2

79,785,591

16,131

20.2

17,322,714

2,487

14.4

1982

16,280,287

6,509

40.0

61,099,524

20,848

34.1

81,488,902

14,491

17.8

17,783,888

2,522

14.2

1983

15,783,684

6,253

39.6

61,840,154

19,955

32.3

82,861,204

14,459

17.4

18,233,751

2,574

14.1

1984

15,257,750

6,464

42.4

62,491,255

20,964

33.5

84,256,661

15,079

17.9

18,662,938

2,770

14.8

1985

14,969,843

6,276

41.9

62,961,154

20,837

33.1

85,628,410

15,265

17.8

19,072,785

3,005

15.8

1986

14,981,380

7,017

46.8

63,115,889

22,008

34.9

87,205,537

15,736

18.0

19,463,480

3,235

16.6

1987

15,172,917

7,021

46.3

63,032,298

22,387

35.5

88,808,046

16,749

18.9

19,890,817

3,376

17.0

1988

15,159,185

7,249

47.8

62,784,739

22,367

35.6

90,464,406

17,501

19.3

20,302,280

3,623

17.8

1989

14,874,579

6,906

46.4

62,494,056

21,273

34.0

92,250,762

17,780

19.3

20,719,397

3,631

17.5

1990

14,424,509

6,356

44.1

62,282,683

20,715

33.3

94,140,108

17,579

18.7

21,164,283

3,688

17.4

1991

13,935,348

5,718

41.0

62,025,750

19,073

30.8

96,068,111

16,366

17.0

21,751,897

3,769

17.3

1992

13,720,071

5,231

38.1

61,427,100

17,846

29.1

98,214,539

16,377

16.7

22,321,217

3,834

17.2

1993

13,874,164

5,434

39.2

60,582,332

17,691

29.2

100,399,648

17,024

17.0

22,800,673

4,146

18.2

1994

14,128,177

5,773

40.9

59,629,351

17,672

29.6

102,541,525

17,514

17.1

23,243,845

4,325

18.6

1995

14,401,118

5,874

40.8

58,712,407

17,911

30.5

104,712,328

18,869

18.0

23,693,757

4,505

19.0

1996

14,907,191

6,021

40.4

57,753,910

17,738

30.7

106,975,953

19,266

18.0

24,056,323

4,563

19.0

1997

15,257,453

5,947

39.0

57,046,569

16,847

29.5

109,232,426

19,708

18.0

24,408,817

4,823

19.8

1998

15,649,272

5,938

37.9

56,421,053

16,271

28.8

111,331,195

20,031

18.0

24,793,551

4,808

19.4

1999

15,927,464

6,158

38.7

55,961,401

16,154

28.9

113,451,312

19,585

17.3

25,092,805

4,806

19.2

2000

16,192,473

6,041

37.3

58,971,709

16,444

27.9

117,114,739

19,966

17.0

25,559,879

4,574

17.9

2001

16,232,934

5,983

36.9

59,465,066

16,284

27.4

119,060,436

20,287

17.0

25,797,467

4,649

18.0

2002

16,287,999

6,134

37.7

60,046,068

16,686

27.8

120,913,207

20,358

16.8

26,005,326

4,543

17.5

2003

16,344,596

5,745

35.1

60,599,350

16,329

26.9

122,772,578

20,799

16.9

26,200,946

4,644

17.7

2004

16,518,068

5,724

34.7

61,003,240

16,401

26.9

124,762,848

20,509

16.4

26,337,518

4,355

16.5

2005

16,652,533

5,360

32.2

61,180,772

16,516

27.0

126,831,714

21,004

16.6

26,658,669

4,237

15.9

2006

16,996,219

5,270

31.0

61,527,219

16,237

26.4

128,907,361

20,152

15.6

26,884,798

4,064

15.1

2007

17,208,807

4,970

28.9

61,623,322

15,624

25.4

130,500,566

19,696

15.1

27,135,517

4,004

14.8

2008

17,314,417

4,046

23.4

61,990,546

13,696

22.1

131,908,058

17,868

13.5

27,521,034

3,739

13.6

2009

17,404,102

3,620

20.8

63,105,881

12,338

19.6

132,693,708

16,671

12.6

27,786,270

3,565

12.8

2010

17,797,523

3,234

18.2

62,649,947

12,066

19.3

134,995,314

16,204

12.0

27,832,721

3,630

13.0

2011

17,487,207

2,977

17.0

63,944,330

11,960

18.7

136,282,085

15,828

11.6

28,520,353

3,552

12.5

2012

17,216,688

2,917

16.9

64,892,524

12,493

19.3

137,348,713

16,528

12.0

29,168,003

3,651

12.5

2013

17,011,519

2,584

15.2

65,640,025

12,178

18.6

138,145,370

16,405

11.9

30,095,357

3,656

12.1

2014

16,903,924

2,622

15.5

66,428,678

12,205

18.4

139,374,831

16,251

11.7

30,917,945

3,720

12.0

2015

16,859,161

2,924

17.3

66,876,515

13,444

20.1

140,723,231

18,043

12.8

31,693,384

3,944

12.4

2016

16,949,773

3,040

17.9

67,156,940

14,622

21.8

141,678,551

19,024

13.4

32,442,777

4,302

13.3

2017

17,017,100

2,931

17.2

67,461,307

14,228

21.1

142,082,361

19,315

13.6

34,022,298

4,476

13.2

The rate of deaths per 100,000 people in 2017 peaked at ages 20-24 for male drivers (13.5) and at age 18 for male passengers (5.1). Death rates peaked at ages 18 and 19 for female drivers (5.4) and at age 18 for female passengers (4.3).

Deaths in passenger vehicles per 100,000 people by seating position, age and gender, 2017

Age

Male

Female

Total

Population

Driver deaths

Passenger deaths

Population

Driver deaths

Passenger deaths

Population

Driver deaths

Passenger deaths

Number

Rate

Number

Rate

Number

Rate

Number

Rate

Number

Rate

Number

Rate

<13

26,944,870

0

0.0

353

1.3

25,794,062

0

0.0

324

1.3

52,738,932

0

0.0

677

1.3

13

2,119,558

1

0.0

21

1.0

2,035,757

0

0.0

24

1.2

4,155,315

1

0.0

45

1.1

14

2,104,753

3

0.1

33

1.6

2,022,552

2

0.1

35

1.7

4,127,305

5

0.1

68

1.6

15

2,098,809

16

0.8

56

2.7

2,015,751

9

0.4

54

2.7

4,114,560

25

0.6

110

2.7

16

2,155,909

100

4.6

100

4.6

2,066,782

65

3.1

64

3.1

4,222,691

165

3.9

164

3.9

17

2,197,871

149

6.8

102

4.6

2,098,704

61

2.9

65

3.1

4,296,575

210

4.9

167

3.9

18

2,169,468

242

11.2

110

5.1

2,071,758

111

5.4

90

4.3

4,241,226

353

8.3

200

4.7

19

2,178,434

266

12.2

103

4.7

2,078,174

113

5.4

84

4.0

4,256,608

379

8.9

187

4.4

20-24

11,349,142

1,536

13.5

458

4.0

10,769,493

576

5.3

357

3.3

22,118,635

2,112

9.5

815

3.7

25-29

11,902,230

1,424

12.0

310

2.6

11,468,230

516

4.5

216

1.9

23,370,460

1,940

8.3

526

2.3

30-59

63,065,108

5,482

8.7

832

1.3

64,165,382

2,172

3.4

824

1.3

127,230,490

7,654

6.0

1,656

1.3

60-69

17,487,151

1,411

8.1

150

0.9

19,336,932

609

3.1

266

1.4

36,824,083

2,020

5.5

416

1.1

70+

14,634,816

1,859

12.7

313

2.1

19,387,482

915

4.7

635

3.3

34,022,298

2,774

8.2

948

2.8

The rate of fatal passenger vehicle crash involvements per 100 million miles traveled in 2017 was highest at ages 16-19 for male drivers and at ages 80 and over for female drivers.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 2018. [Unpublished analysis of 2017 data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Household Travel Survey, General Estimates System, and Fatality Analysis Reporting System]. Arlington, VA.

Fatal passenger vehicle crash involvements per 100 million miles traveled by driver age and gender, 2017

Age

Male

Female

Total*

Crash involvements

Miles

Rate

Crash involvements

Miles

Rate

Crash involvements

Miles

Rate

16-19

1,975

28,711,488,889

6.9

951

27,820,712,715

3.4

2,928

56,532,201,604

5.2

20-24

3,656

81,819,058,284

4.5

1,645

74,665,272,983

2.2

5,304

156,484,331,267

3.4

25-29

3,372

88,923,446,089

3.8

1,553

104,933,172,837

1.5

4,925

193,856,618,926

2.5

30-59

12,822

714,252,987,485

1.8

6,103

506,466,191,124

1.2

18,934

1,220,719,178,608

1.6

60-69

2,912

187,863,100,577

1.6

1,344

123,480,084,793

1.1

4,256

311,343,185,370

1.4

70-79

1,810

76,445,504,719

2.4

918

48,934,846,867

1.9

2,728

125,380,351,586

2.2

80+

1,187

17,668,399,565

6.7

555

11,043,994,140

5.0

1,742

28,712,393,705

6.1

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

The rate of nighttime fatal passenger vehicle crash involvements per 100 million miles traveled in 2017 was almost 3 times higher for male drivers ages 16-19 than for male drivers ages 30-59. The corresponding comparison for females yields just over double the rate.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 2018. [Unpublished analysis of 2017 data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Household Travel Survey, General Estimates System, and Fatality Analysis Reporting System]. Arlington, VA.

Nighttime (9 p.m.-6 a.m.) fatal passenger vehicle crash involvements per 100 million miles traveled by driver age and gender, 2017

Age

Male

Female

Crash involvements

Miles

Rate

Crash involvements

Miles

Rate

16-19

741

4,485,265,076

16.5

286

2,658,031,791

10.8

20-24

1,683

11,684,923,181

14.4

613

10,294,944,749

6.0

25-29

1,541

11,314,321,049

13.6

543

5,764,042,937

9.4

30-59

4,301

73,092,977,979

5.9

1,472

32,388,676,634

4.5

60-69

579

14,391,400,023

4.0

182

6,801,071,779

2.7

70+

308

3,938,194,706

7.8

110

1,786,643,480

6.2

When teenagers died

In 2017, teenage crash deaths occurred most often in July. October and August also saw elevated crash deaths among teens.

Teenage motor vehicle crash deaths in 2017 occurred most frequently from 9 p.m. to midnight (17 percent), followed closely by the time between 6 and 9 p.m. (16 percent) and between 3 and 6 p.m. (16 percent).

Teenage motor vehicle crash deaths by time of day, 2017

Time of day

Deaths

%

Midnight - 3 a.m.

356

13

3 a.m. - 6 a.m.

264

10

6 a.m. - 9 a.m.

243

9

9 a.m. - noon

173

6

Noon - 3 p.m.

312

11

3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

444

16

6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

442

16

9 p.m. - midnight

474

17

Total*

2,734

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Alcohol involvement

Young drivers are less likely than adults to drive after drinking alcohol, but their crash risk is substantially higher when they do. This is especially true at low and moderate blood alcohol concentrations (BACs).
Voas, R.B.; Torres, P.; Romano, E.; and Lacey, J.H. 2012. Alcohol-related risk of driver fatalities: an update using 2007 data. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 73(3):341-350. The estimated percentage of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers ages 16-17 who had BACs at or above 0.08 percent in 2017 was 13 percent, down 68 percent since 1982. Most of this decline took place in the 1980s. This age group experienced the greatest decline in alcohol involvement, compared with a 56 percent decline for drivers ages 18-20, a 33 percent decline for drivers ages 21-30, and a 42 percent decline for drivers older than 30.

Estimated percent and number of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with BACs ≥ 0.08 percent by age group, 1982-2017

Year

16-17 years

18-20 years

21-30 years

>30 years

Drivers killed

Estimated drivers with BACs ≥ 0.08

Drivers killed

Estimated drivers with BACs ≥ 0.08

Drivers killed

Estimated drivers with BACs ≥ 0.08

Drivers killed

Estimated drivers with BACs ≥ 0.08

Number

Number

%

Number

Number

%

Number

Number

%

Number

Number

%

1982

895

368

41

2,561

1,458

57

6,244

3,948

63

9,861

4,208

43

1983

899

345

38

2,427

1,336

55

6,053

3,859

64

9,845

3,943

40

1984

969

321

33

2,472

1,274

52

6,413

3,885

61

10,337

3,860

37

1985

935

250

27

2,292

1,009

44

6,263

3,659

58

10,441

3,713

36

1986

1,172

336

29

2,464

1,158

47

6,695

3,974

59

11,042

3,887

35

1987

1,192

311

26

2,438

1,004

41

6,802

3,975

58

11,579

4,016

35

1988

1,177

302

26

2,611

1,056

40

6,819

3,991

59

12,145

4,203

35

1989

1,060

234

22

2,476

991

40

6,475

3,675

57

12,401

4,272

34

1990

999

224

22

2,398

974

41

6,152

3,510

57

12,274

4,238

35

1991

902

193

21

2,119

852

40

5,623

3,183

57

11,801

3,993

34

1992

900

165

18

1,797

664

37

5,122

2,759

54

11,639

3,823

33

1993

935

152

16

1,870

643

34

5,065

2,658

52

12,038

3,851

32

1994

1,006

167

17

1,984

632

32

4,975

2,484

50

12,525

3,771

30

1995

1,015

150

15

1,968

575

29

5,081

2,585

51

13,247

4,155

31

1996

1,106

186

17

1,920

583

30

4,989

2,475

50

13,478

4,070

30

1997

1,090

180

17

1,946

594

31

4,775

2,275

48

13,777

4,004

29

1998

1,059

161

15

2,035

607

30

4,577

2,222

49

13,839

3,930

28

1999

1,092

172

16

2,169

677

31

4,653

2,260

49

13,870

3,866

28

2000

999

158

16

2,251

686

30

4,706

2,268

48

13,743

3,997

29

2001

993

132

13

2,254

691

31

4,735

2,358

50

13,790

4,005

29

2002

1,126

155

14

2,326

718

31

4,938

2,462

50

14,006

4,020

29

2003

994

159

16

2,266

699

31

4,852

2,308

48

13,957

3,930

28

2004

969

149

15

2,206

665

30

4,970

2,372

48

13,689

3,743

27

2005

879

132

15

2,106

603

29

5,067

2,492

49

13,809

3,852

28

2006

859

151

18

2,161

680

31

5,159

2,535

49

13,321

3,779

28

2007

775

133

17

1,953

633

32

5,028

2,592

52

12,697

3,675

29

2008

580

91

16

1,712

535

31

4,388

2,327

53

11,528

3,308

29

2009

503

69

14

1,546

540

35

3,870

2,020

52

10,869

3,156

29

2010

410

58

14

1,265

380

30

3,697

1,816

49

10,613

2,914

27

2011

422

78

18

1,300

410

32

3,612

1,747

48

10,193

2,820

28

2012

390

60

15

1,234

376

30

3,748

1,803

48

10,505

2,958

28

2013

302

31

10

1,079

328

30

3,671

1,788

49

10,492

2,958

28

2014

344

50

15

1,090

294

27

3,636

1,707

47

10,384

2,849

27

2015

381

53

14

1,210

295

24

3,860

1,658

43

11,134

2,901

26

2016

406

47

12

1,185

284

24

4,205

1,812

43

11,801

2,997

25

2017

375

50

13

1,100

279

25

4,021

1,696

42

12,116

3,029

25

Among fatally injured teenage drivers in 2017, females were less likely than males to have high BACs. Among fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers ages 16-17, 15 percent of males and 10 percent of females had BACs at or above 0.08 percent. Among fatally injured drivers ages 18-19, 24 percent of males and 17 percent of females had BACs at or above 0.08 percent.

Estimated number and percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with BACs ≥ 0.08 percent by gender and age, 2017